All good sewing machines for kids should have a safety guard over the needle, and you’ll be pleased to learn that this one does. Jane is the Editor of SewingFromHome.com and has over two decades of experience sewing, knitting and embroidering. She runs a small teaching business in her native Kansas and is passionate about helping her students learn a variety of crafting skills. The free arm provides easy access to cuffs, collars, trouser hems and other difficult-to-reach areas. The on-board storage provides easy access to the included accessories. For sergers, our stitch testing varied slightly because these machines are designed for finishing, rather than assembly. So, we used two pieces of cotton fabric and stitched the edges together. There are two main styles of sewing machines available today: computerized options and mechanical machines.

Brands like Haitral, Sew Cool and Michley have the benefit of offering specialist kid sewing machines that are not only safe and easy to use, but usually come with a much lower price tag than the more famous brands. If you’re looking for a machine that children can truly make things with, as oppose to simply practise their skills, you may be a little disappointed. Similarly, most sewing machines come with multiple presser feet, and these attachments allow you to complete different sewing tasks. Most machines have separate feet for general sewing, buttonholes, zippers, and blind hems. More advanced models may also come with specialty feet, such as options for darning, overstitching, and more. Our best for beginners machine, the Brother CS7000X Sewing and Quilting Machine, has 70 stitch options and comes with 10 presser feet. We found the array of stitches to be sufficient for sewists just diving into the craft, and there were more than enough presser feet to accomplish a variety of projects. This machine can handle both lighter cotton and higher-density weaves like denim. It’s easy to cycle through all of the 165 stitch options on the digital screen, which also suggests which compatible presser foot to use. In addition to your standard functional stitches, of which there are 110, the remaining 55 stitches are alphanumeric options so you can even try your hand at monogramming. However, there is only one font. We loved using this sewing machine with the wide table extension, which would make quilting and larger clothes projects easier to manage. This machine is also just over 10 pounds, which makes it one of the lightest options in our roundup, and it has a carrying handle and hard cover case. Carrying handles are not uncommon on machines, but we think this model would be a more portable option for trips to sewing classes or different work areas.We've loved using this machine over the past two months, and the variety of stitches available makes it fun to dream up new projects. We stand by our initial assessment that this machine is definitely geared toward more advanced sewists, as some of the functionalities may be too overwhelming for someone who has never used a sewing machine. But the Singer Start 1304 is also incredibly easy to use, thanks to the automatic bobbin winding, pre-set stitch widths and lengths, and the dial with which to choose your stitches. You can find even more information about these sewing machine features in our What to Look for in a Sewing Machine section. It’slightweight and easy to carry, and gives your child the choice of using a press button or foot pedal to start sewing. While most people will want to start with the stop/start button, it’s a great idea to graduate up to the foot pedal once you’ve found your feet and want to develop your skills further. While we do wish a few more presser feet and stitch options were provided, we love how this machine is embroidery-first. The standard sewing capabilities are just as reliable as other machines on our list, but we recommend playing around with the machine’s tension. The only snag we ran into was a literal snag and thread tangle under the steel plate. Our top thread severed during an embroidery design, which required us to re-thread the machine, and then when the design resumed, it created a big knot under the needle plate. The screwdriver that was provided in the accessories box was not the perfect size for the plate’s screws, so it took some effort to remove the plate and cut out the thread. However, we were able to resolve the issue and did not experience any other complications during testing.

Of course, Singer, Janome and Brother all offer a number of great, kid friendly sewing machines, but there are a few other brands you should keep an open mind for, as well. The best sewing machine for kids will also lightweight and portable — perhaps even with a handle. This means that they can take it to each other’s houses and to craft events, without having to lug a heavy machine around with them. This Singer ZigZag machine is probably the most popular sewing machine for kids on the market — although it’s truthfully more like an advanced sewing toy rather than a particularly utilitarian machine. Computerized machines will offer more innovative features like automatic buttonhole capabilities, thread-cutting buttons, and automatic tension settings, which help both experts and beginners.As with adults sewing machines, you ideally want an easy-to-use machine (from threading the needle to not having to faff about finding the correct stitch), that is lightweight, reliable, safe and affordable. The foot pedal is on/off rather than any speed control, but I’ve taught absolute beginners on this machine and they’ve been fine with the set speed

The right type of sewing machine should come with easy-to-use features, simple user manual and everything your child needs to start sewing right away. Most importantly, the machine has to be safe for your kid to use by themselves. Children’s Sewing Machine Brands

As we mentioned above, stitch options aren’t determinants of a machine’s value or effectiveness. However, as your skills progress, additional stitches can be a wonderful tool for more advanced projects. Not only is it portable but it has an impressive range of stitches for such a basic machine: from zigzag and crescent to scallop and more, itcomes with 10 built-in stitch options. We loved how much room we had to manipulate larger projects while using this machine for two months at home. It handles heavier fabrics, such as denim, with ease and maintains a tight stitch no matter the fabric type. We plan to use the embroidery feature more in the coming months and will update this section with any new findings. This sewing machine has a number of advanced functions that we've loved using over the past few months. We love that the size of decorative stitches can be enlarged, so you may find it easier to cover larger squares and quilt patterns more efficiently. Additionally, the stitch selection keypad is very intuitive to control despite the overwhelming number of stitches. We don't think this machine is the best option for carrying to classes, as it is very heavy, so it's best left out in a dedicated space.

We initially thought the sewing speed was a bit fast, but once we added the walking foot, we found it adjusted the speed to what we consider to be the perfect pace. Like other computerized sewing machines in our roundup, this Juki does have an automatic thread cutter button. However, we also learned that the foot pedal has a thread-cutting shortcut (the blue raised pad on the top of the pedal), which we accidentally pressed while in the middle of our stitching. This could certainly be a frustrating quirk while working on any project, so we suggest keeping your foot lower on the pedal. If you feel coordinated enough or are familiar with it, you can always switch out the foot pedal for the knee lever attachment—which functions the same as the foot pedal, except you raise and lower your knee to make the machine run. Overall, the basic design of this Juki sewing machine only further emphasizes how some of the frills of computerized machines aren’t always necessary, even for the most advanced sewists. Whether your child wants to learn paper crafting or simple sewing tasks, this sewing machine is great for any young sewing enthusiast — it’s one of the best quality children’s sewing machines on the market. Tip: For kids sewing machines opt for a front-loading bobbin system because it's less likely to jam, and look for key safety features like finger-guards and speed controls. You cannot make buttonholes on it (it has zigzag stitches, but not tight enough or wide enough for buttonholes) Twenty-three built-in stitches offer a variety of options for fashion sewing, crafts, home décor and decorative sewing.Needle positions can be changed for individual projects including inserting zips, cording and topstitching. While we would not recommend this machine for the average user, an experienced and avid sewist could spend hours learning all of the features loaded onto the Janome Horizon Memory Craft 9850 Embroidery and Sewing Machine. With 200 built-in stitches and a maximum sewing speed of 1,000 stitches per minute, you’ll be well on your way to creating some fabulous pieces. After testing this machine, we feel it's safe to say that every basic function is slightly elevated. Our team member who has been using this machine in her home over the past two months says she's really enjoyed discovering all of the features it has to offer. It continues to be very easy to operate, although beginners may experience a slight learning curve getting used to a larger set of stitches and presser feet.